Sauerland tourism takes stock for the year 2024

Sauerland tourism takes stock for the year 2024

Stable guest numbers despite changeable weather - focus on quality continues

Sauerland Tourism can look back on a successful 2024. Despite some changeable weather, especially in the summer months, the previous year's level was almost maintained. The increase in the number of guest arrivals (2,529,979 / + 0.4 %) compared to 2023 is particularly pleasing, while the number of overnight stays fell slightly (7,660,812 / - 0.9 %). This shows that the Sauerland is in demand as a travel destination all year round and is appreciated for both short trips and longer stays.

"The figures confirm that the Sauerland, with its wide range of outdoor activities, continues to be in high demand as one of the most important vacation regions in NRW. The continuous investment in tourism infrastructure, the high quality of the offers and the close cooperation with our partners are paying off. We are delighted with the positive development and see further potential for the coming years," says Rouven Soyka, press spokesman for the tourism association.

The official statistics from IT.NRW only include businesses with ten or more beds. This means that a considerable proportion of the guest volume, particularly from smaller accommodation establishments such as vacation apartments and vacation homes, is not taken into account. However, this sector in particular plays an important role in the success of tourism in "Germany's inspiring outdoor region". The growing popularity of individual forms of accommodation makes it clear that guests increasingly value flexible and tailor-made vacation experiences.

There was also a slight decline in foreign guest arrivals (365,795 / - 1.4 %) and overnight stays (1,231,764 / - 2.6 %), albeit still at a high level. One factor in particular was the difficult weather conditions during the crocus vacation, which is an important travel period in the Netherlands and Belgium. Nevertheless, the Sauerland remains an attractive destination for international guests, particularly due to its good accessibility and the numerous businesses under Dutch management.

Another strong pillar of the region remains camping and motorhome tourism. The numerous camping and motorhome pitches are experiencing stable to growing demand, which further underlines the importance of this segment.

"A look at the figures underlines that our strategic focus on sustainable and high-quality tourism is working. Our task remains to further optimize our offer and meet the wishes of our guests. The trend towards individualization and conscious travel decisions opens up new opportunities for us, which we want to exploit in a targeted manner in cooperation with our tourism partners," explains Max Hoffmeister, Deputy Managing Director of Sauerland-Tourismus. "This is where the entire destination with all its businesses, excursion destinations and restaurants is in demand in order to score points with day trippers and vacation guests with a high-quality offer across the board."

Contact for the press:
Rouven Soyka, Sauerland-Tourismus e. V.
Johannes-Hummel-Weg 1, 57392 Schmallenberg
Tel.: 02974-969830, e-mail: presse@sauerland.com